If you are having difficulty with the fax machine; 12 - 4; Printing or Receiving Faxes- Page 97

12 - 4

   TROUBLESHOOTING AND ROUTINE MAINTENANCE

If you are having difficulty with the fax machine

If you think there is a problem with your fax machine or the way your faxes look, 

make a copy first

. If the copy looks good, the problem is probably not the fax 

machine. Check the chart below and follow the troubleshooting tips.

DIFFICULTY

SUGGESTIONS

Printing or Receiving Faxes

Condensed print and white 
streaks across the page or the 
top and bottom of sentences 
are cut off.

If your copy looks good, you probably had a bad connection, with static 
or interference on the phone line. If the copy looks bad, call Brother 
Customer Service at 1-800-284-4329 (

in USA

) or 1-877-BROTHER (

in 

Canada

).

Vertical black lines when 
receiving.

The sender’s scanner may be dirty. Ask the sender to make a copy to 
see if the problem is on with the sending machine. Try receiving from 
another fax machine.
If the problem continues, call Brother Customer Service at 
1-800-284-4329 (

in USA

) or 1-877-BROTHER (

in Canada

).

Phone Line or Connections

The fax machine does not 
answer when called.

Make sure the fax machine is in the correct receiving mode for your 
setup. (either 

FAX ONLY

 or 

FAX/TEL

) Check for a dial tone. If possible, 

call the fax machine to hear it answer. If there is still no answer, check 
the telephone line cord connection. Connect a standard telephone 
handset to the fax machine’s telephone jack. If there is no ringing when 
you call the fax machine, ask your telephone company to check the line.

Telephone answering device 
(TAD) does not answer when 
called

Connect the telephone line cord from your TAD to the back of the fax 
machine, in the jack labeled EXT. Make sure the TAD is set to answer 
calls. (See 

Connecting an external telephone answering device (TAD)

on page 1-9.)

No dial tone on the handset

Press 

Hook

—

OR

—Lift the handset. If you don’t hear a dial tone, check 

telephone line cord connections at the fax machine and wall jack. Check 
that the handset is connected to the fax machine’s handset jack. Test 
the wall jack with another single line telephone. If there is no dial tone at 
the wall outlet, call your telephone company.

The Caller ID does not display 
after the Call Waiting signal

The Caller ID signal is sent ten seconds after the Call Waiting Signal and 
speaking may interfere with it. When you hear the Call Waiting signal, 
ask the other party to hold while you answer the call. Then stop 
speaking until you see the Caller ID on the LCD.